fabre, poet of science-第17章

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mountain；　where　he　would　often　spend　whole　days　alone　with　wild　nature。



It　is　in　this　silent　Theba？d；　so　far　from　the　atmosphere　of　cities；　the

vain　agitations　and　storms　of　the　world；　that　his　life　has　been　passed；　in

unchanging　uniformity；　and　here　he　has　been　able　to　pursue；　with　resolute

labour　and　incredible　patience；　that　prodigious　series　of　marvellous

observations　which　for　nearly　fifty　years　he　has　never　ceased　to

accumulate。



Let　us　indeed　remember　how　much　time　has　been　required　and　what　effort　has

been　expended　to　complete　the　long　and　patient　inquiries　which　he　had

hitherto　accomplished；　obliged；　as　he　was；　to　allow　himself　to　be

interrupted　at　any　moment；　and　to　postpone　his　observations　often　at　the

most　interesting　moment；　in　order　to　undertake　some　enervating　labour；　or

the　disagreeable　and　mechanical　duties　of　his　profession。　Remember　that　his

first　labours　already　dated　from　twenty…five　years　earlier；　and　at　the

moment　when　we　observe　him　in　his　solitude　at　Sérignan　he　had　only　just

painfully　gathered　together　the　material　for　his　first　book。　What　a

contrast　to　the　thirty　fruitful　years　that　were　to　follow！　Now　nearly　ten

volumes；　no　less　overflowing　with　the　richest　material；　were　to　succeed　one

another　at　almost　regular　intervalsabout　one　in　every　three　years。



To　be　sure；　he　would　have　gathered　his　harvest　in　no　matter　what　corner　of

the　world；　provided　he　had　found　within　his　reach；　in　whatever　sphere　of

life　he　had　been　placed；　any　subject　of　inquiry　whatever；　such　was

Rousseau；　botanizing　over　the　bunch　of　chickweed　provided　for　his　canary；

such　was　Bernardin　Saint…Pierre；　discovering　a　world　in　a　strawberry…plant

which　had　sprouted　by　chance　at　the　corner　of　his　window。　（6/2。）　But　the

field　in　which　he　had　hitherto　been　able　to　glean　was　indeed　barren。　That

he　was　able；　later　on；　to　narrate　the　wonderful　history　of　the　Pelopaeus；

whose　habits　he　had　observed　at　Avignon；　was　due　to　the　fact　that　this

curious　insect　had　come　to　lodge　with　him；　having　chosen　Fabre's　chamber

for　its　dwelling。　None　the　less　he　threw　himself　eagerly　upon　all　such

scraps　of　information　as　happened　to　come　under　his　notice；　witness　the

observations　which　he　embodied　in　a　memoir　touching　the　phosphorescence　of

certain　earth…worms　which；　abounding　in　a　little　courtyard　near　his

dwelling；　were　so　rare　elsewhere　that　he　was　never　again　able　to　find　them。

（6/3。）　It　was　therefore　fortunate；　if　not　for　himself；　at　least　for　his

genius；　that　he　did　not　become；　as　he　had　wished；　a　professor　in　a　faculty；

there；　to　be　sure；　he　would　have　found　a　theatre　worthy　of　his　efforts；　in

which　he　might　even　have　demonstrated；　in　all　its　magnificence；　his

incomparable　gift　of　teaching；　but　it　is　probable　too　that　he　would　have

been　stranded　in　shoal　waters；　that　in　the　official　atmosphere　of　a　city

his　still　more　marvellous　gifts　of　observation　would　scarcely　have　found

employment。



It　was　only　by　belonging　fully　to　himself　that　he　could　fruitfully　exercise

his　talents。　Necessary　to　every　scholar；　to　every　inquirer；　to　an　open…air

observer　like　Fabre　liberty　and　leisure　were　more　than　usually　essential；

failing　these　he　might　never　have　accomplished　his　mission。　How　many　lives

are　wasted；　how　many　minds　expended　in　sheer　loss；　in　default　of　this

sufficiency　of　leisure！　How　many　scholars　tied　to　the　soil；　how　many

physicians　absorbed　by　an　exigent　practice；　who　perhaps　had　somewhat　to

say；　have　succeeded　only　in　devising　plans；　for　ever　postponing　their

realization　to　some　miraculous　tomorrow；　which　always　recedes！



But　we　must　not　fall　into　illusions。　How　many　might　be　tempted　to　imitate

him；　hoping　to　see　some　unknown　talent　awaken　or　expand　within　them；　only

to　find　themselves　incapable　of　producing　anything；　and　to　consume

themselves　in　an　insurmountable　and　barren　ennui！　One　must　be　rich　in　one's

own　nature；　rich　in　will　and　in　ability；　to　live　apart　and　seek　new　paths

in　solitude；　and　it　is　not　without　reason　that　the　majority　prefer　the

turmoil　of　cities　and　the　murmur　of　men　to　the　silence　of　the　country。



The　atmosphere　of　a　great　capital；　for　instance；　is　singularly　conducive　to

work。　Living　constantly　within　the　circle　of　light　shed　by　the　masters；

within　reach　of　the　laboratories　and　the　great　libraries；　we　are　less

likely　to　go　astray；　we　are　stimulated　by　the　contact　of　others；　we　profit

by　their　advice　and　experience；　and　it　is　easy　to　borrow　ideas　if　we　lack

them。　Then　there　is　the　stimulant　of　self…respect；　the　sense　of　rivalry；

the　eager　desire　to　advance；　to　distinguish　oneself；　to　shine；　to　attract

attention；　to　become　in　one's　turn　an　arbiter；　an　object　of　wonder　and

envy；　without　which　stimulus　many　would　merely　have　existed；　and　would

never　have　become　what　they　are。



On　the　other　hand；　a　man　needs　an　intrinsic　radio…activity；　and　a　real

talent；　and　the　aid；　moreover；　of　exceptional　circumstances；　if　fame　is　to

consent　to　come　to　him　and　take　him　by　the　hand　in　the　depths　of　some

unknown　Maillane；　some　obscure　Sérignan；　even；　as　in　the　case　of　Fabre；　at

the　end　only　of　a　long　life。



But　he；　by　a　kind　of　fatality　inherent　in　his　nature；　loved　〃to

circumscribe　himself；〃　according　to　the　happy　expression　of　Rousseau；　and

he　profited；　rather　than　otherwise；　by　living　entirely　to　himself；　for　he

had　long　been；　indeed　he　always　was；　the　man　who；　at　twenty…five；　writing

to　his　brother；　had　said；　in　speaking　of　his　native　countryside：　



〃For　a　impassioned　botanist；　it　is　a　delightful　country；　in　which　I　could

pass　a　month；　two　months；　three　months；　a　year　even；　alone；　quite　alone；

with　no　other　companion　than　the　crows　and　the　jays　which　gossip　among　the

oak…trees；　without　being　weary　for　a　moment；　there　would　be　so　many

beautiful　fungi；　orange；　rosy；　and　white；　among　the　mosses；　and　so　many

flowers　in　the　fields。〃　（6/4。）



His　work　having　brought　him　at　last　just　enough　to　enable　him　to　give

himself　the　pleasure　of　becoming；　in　his　turn；　a　proprietor；　he　had

acquired；　for　a　modest　sum；　this　dilapidated　dwelling　and　this　deserted

spot　of　ground；　barren　land；　given　over　to　couch…grass；　thistles；　and

brambles；　a　sort　of　〃accursed　spot；　to　which　no　one　would　have　confided

even　a　pinch　of　turnip…seed。〃　A　piece　of　water　in　front　of　the　house

attracted　all　the　frogs　in　the　neighbourhood；　the　screech…owl　mewed　from

the　tops　of　the　plane…trees；　and　numerous　birds；　no　longer　disturbed　by　the

presence　of　man；　had　domiciled　themselves　in　the　lilacs　and　the　cypresses。

A　host　of　insects　had　seized　upon　the　dwelling；　which　had　long　been

deserted。



He　restored　the　house；　and　to　some　extent　reduced　confusion　to　order。　In

the　uncultivated　and　pebbly　plain　where　the　plough　had　been　long　a　stranger

he　established　plants　of　a　thousand　varieties；　and；　the　better　to　hide

himself；　he　had　walls　built　to　shut　himself　in。



Why　was　he　drawn　by　preference　to　this　village　of　Sérignan？for　he　did　not

go　thither　without　making　some　inquiries　as　to　the　possibility　of　obtaining

shelter　elsewhere；　and　the　Carpentras　cemetery　had　tempted　him　also；　but

what　had　particularly　seduced　and　drawn　him　thither　was　the　nearness　of　the

mountain　with　its　Mediterranean　flora；　so　rich　that　it　recalled　the

Corsican　maquis；　full　of　beautiful　fungi　and　varied　insects；　where；　under

the　flat　stones　exposed　to　the　burning　sun；　the　centipede　burrowed　and　the

scorpion　slept；　where　a　special　fauna　aboundedof　curious　dung…beetles；

scarabaei；　the　Copris；　the　Minotaur；　etc。which　only　a　little　farther

north　grow　rapidly　scarcer　and　then　altogether　disappear。



He　had　thus　at　last　arrived　in　port；　he　had　found　his　〃Eden。〃



He　had　realized；　〃after　forty　years　of　desperate　struggles；〃　the　dearest；

the　most　ardent；　the　longest　cherished　of　all　his　desires。　He　could　observe

at　leisure　〃every　day；　every　hour；〃　his　beloved　insects；　〃under　the　blue

sky；　to　the　music　of　the　cigales。〃　He　had　only　to　open　his　eyes　and　to　see；

to　l